Indecisive Mess
by couldbedauntless
Summary: Now that they finally have a chance to get back at Amon for taking Mako's bending, the Krew gets ready for a sneak attack with the Chief of Police only Lin doesn't exactly know her allies are coming... Yet can they pull it together and be a team when Asami knows about the kiss and Korra and Bolin are determined to avoid too much contact? I'm rubbish at summaries, forgive me.
1. Chapter 1

Korra found that one day, (after watching Mako and Asami flirt in a disgustingly cheesy manner) she no longer felt pangs of jealousy. She reflected on that as she watched the team captain's face light up as he heard his gorgeous girlfriend's heeled steps click clack through the doorway and towards him. The beam Mako gave Asami no longer made Korra's stomach churn and the warm smile Asami gave in return hardly tried her patience.

Korra smiled proudly at herself and shot a few earth discs at the net in front of her just for fun.

"Hey! Those were mine!" Bolin said indignantly from somewhere off to her right. Korra turned and saw him standing in a footloose earthbending pose, as he had been prepared to launch the earth disks she had carelessly taken from the pile at his feet.

"Sorry." she flashed him a sheepish smile. "I just got tired of waterbending. I hardly even noticed I did that."

"Just make sure that doesn't happen during a match!" Mako called out from the doorway, then he and Asami left the premises after a harried "Bye you two, have fun practicing!" from Asami.

"Yeah yeah, I know, I won't." She yelled back, although she was pretty sure she was out of earshot.

"I don't think he can hear you." Bolin chuckled as he bent the earth disks Korra had stolen earlier towards him.

"That was my point." she shot him a crooked grin. "I figured it'd be better to hold my tongue. I wouldn't be making Asami any favors by upsetting her boyfriend before one of their precious dates."

"Wow, that's slightly out of character. Since when are you two considerate towards each other?" Bolin let the disks fall as he walked to her, a mock concerned expression on his face. "Are you feeling well?"

"Perfectly." she replied. "Why is that so surprising?"

"Well, seeing as you're both usually at each other's throats..." he trailed off and put his hand to her forehead. "You know, you might actually be coming down with something. I don't think you should be in the match tomorrow." Bolin was struggling to keep his face straight. Korra swatted his hand away playfully.

"Oh, whatever." she turned around to face the sandbag Mako had been punching earlier. She tried to give it a few jabs with her bare fists and grimaced in pain as the rough material scratched her knuckles.

"Y'know, you're supposed to wrap your hands. If not you'll bleed." Bolin told her as he paused his exercises for a swig at his water bottle. Korra chose to ignore him and went on punching the bag. She felt too happy over her recent emotional victory to care about the condition of her skin. She was feeling reckless and that led to a wildly swinging sandbag hitting her on the chin.

"OW!" she cried out and rubbed the spot where a bruise was already forming. Bolin tried not to laugh once he had rushed over to see if she was okay.

"Jeez, Korra! I was kidding before but if you really aren't feeling well you should've told me!"

"Spirits, that hurt!" she moaned as she moved her jaw to assess the damage. "I'm fine Bo, really!"

"And now you're using my nickname! That's it! I'm taking you to see a specialist!" he announced as he made to grab her arm and led her out the door. Korra laughed and tried to pull his hand away only to find her strength was no match for his firm grip.

"Really, I'm fine! Let go!" she insisted.

"Nope."

"Oh come on!"

"Shhh." he turned around and gave her a happy grin as he led her up to Mako's and his loft.

"So who's this specialist you're taking me to see?" Korra's grin slipped as her curiosity grew.

"Pabu has magical healing paws." Bolin said, with the most serious expression he could muster.

"Really? More magical than my glowing water?" Korra asked.

"Yes ma'am." Bolin let go of her arm to fish the door keys out of his pocket.

"How is your shoulder, by the way? I know it's been weeks ago since it got hurt but has it healed properly?"

Bolin opened the door and led them inside.

"The bruise is gone, obviously. I'm back to my perfect self." he struck a mock sensual pose with the arm connecting to the once wounded shoulder behind his head. Korra laughed but sobered quickly as she remembered how Bolin had gotten the awful wound in the first place.

"Sorry about that, again." she mumbled as she poked the spot where her water had healed him. Bolin ditched the pose and put on a smile that was too tense to be completely genuine.

"Hey, it's okay. No need to feel bad and bring all that silly stuff back up again." he assured her. Korra smiled back sadly, choosing not to voice how obvious the hurt in his eyes was. But more than that, the acceptance and forgiveness in his soft green eyes was too much to bear.

In seeing her expression darken, Bolin silently cursed himself. She hadn't even mentioned the more dramatic part of that day. She was probably only apologizing for her bad technique and focus during the match that had inadvertently caused him the bruise and almost the match.

"But hey!" he said in a lighter tone, trying to cheer her up as she had been before, "We're all a lot better now! There'll be no more distractions from now on, right?"

He didn't think he could make her look more uncomfortable and put down, but apparently he had done just that.

"Of course, not that you- I MEAN WE- were distracted before. It's just that a lot was going on BUT NO ONE'S TO BLAME...uh, I mean... I'll just shut up now." he walked away and slumped dejectedly on his couch. After a few seconds, Korra steeled herself and went to join him, bending some water out of the sink as she went to heal her chin.

"I know I'm to blame." Korra said as she stood over him, making glowing water swirl all over the bottom of her face. Bolin bit back a laugh, but not fast enough, Korra had seen him almost giggle.

"What's so funny? I'm trying to be serious here!" she asked, affronted. She let the water splash down on his lap and was pleased to hear his indignant yelp.

"Nothing! All that you said wasn't funny! It's just hard to take you seriously when you're bending yourself a beard made of water!" he stood up and tried to wring the water out from the front of his pants.

"Oh." Korra said, smiling at his efforts. She let him continue until he looked up at her, half glaring, half imploring. She chuckled and lifted her arms in a lift and sweeping movement to remove all of the liquid. She twisted in place and deposited it in the sink.

"Thanks." Bolin tried to mumble grumpily but his ever constant smile gave him away. "So, what's on your mind? Anything troubling you?"

"The opposite, actually." Korra's voice regained its usual loud cheeriness. "I mean, Amon hasn't caused any problems recently, Tenzin says my airbending is really improving and also, a priestess from the Northern Water Tribe is on her way here to try to teach me how to connect with my past lives and get into the avatar state!" she said all of this very rapidly but Bolin had no trouble keeping up.

"That's great Korra!" he said and sat back down, patting the space next to him, welcoming her to sit. She obliged and gushed about all the different techniques she had been learning in efforts of talking to Aang. Bolin just sat and listened to her, occasionally letting Pabu hunt his fingers.

It was calming to talk to Bolin, Korra thought as she prattled. She let her thoughts stray to the night of their date. Really, why hadn't she ever considered liking Bolin? He was kinder to her than his brother. He was just as talented if put under pressure and he was always there to help. Korra glanced over slyly at the boy who was racing his hand along the armrest of the couch, having his fire ferret chase it around. He was sweet and kind and it didn't hurt that he WAS as gorgeous as he only half-jokingly claimed.

"Hey, Bolin." Korra said without thinking, "Why did you cry?" And as soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened and she regretted it. Bolin froze, giving Pabu the chance to leap on his arm and lick his hand.

He gave a weak laugh. "I was just being stupid. It doesn't matter."

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I was just curious because you and Mako let it all go so quickly and I'm not good at all of this emotional stuff and I...I'm just no good at any of this." Korra blushed and ducked her head to hide behind her bangs.

"Truthfully, you're not." Bolin said in a kind voice as he turned to face Korra. "But it's okay. You're still learning and neither of us will hold anything against you. Weren't you like, raised in practically a prison?"

"I wouldn't say prison...or raised. I trained there yeah. And I wasn't allowed to leave a certain perimeter but I never really had a reason to complain." Korra's reply was hesitant, like she was trying to convince herself.

"I still think it's pretty awful." Bolin sighed and stretched out on the couch, putting his arm around Korra's shoulder. She raised an eyebrow at him and he offered her a wolfish grin. She found herself relax in his casual embrace. It wasn't so bad...

And that's when a disheveled and teary Asami stumbled through the door.


	2. Chapter 2

"Asami!" Bolin jumped from the couch and ran to her, with Korra close behind.

"You two weren't...weren't in the gym so I panicked and dad's not in town, I didn't know who to call." she managed to get out between panting and broken sobs.

"Asami, what happened? Where's Mako?" Korra asked as Bolin practically carried Asami to the couch.

"We were walking and some idiots started to bother me, so when he tried to defend me, some chi blockers attacked us from behind. They asked Mako again and again where you were, Bolin, and when he refused to answer they threw me aside and bound him, asking him if he would answer the same if faced with Amon. There's a rumor, that Amon can take away bending? Is that true? And why were they asking for you, Bolin?" she finished her story with a somewhat accusatory sob.

Korra and Bolin exchanged dumbstruck looks. Bolin looked at Korra in horror.

"Why were they looking for you?" Asami repeated.

"I really don't know." Bolin answered in a whisper, too preoccupied by his brother to fret over his own safety. He turned to Korra with a terrified desperation in his eyes.

Korra wanted to be surprised at finding herself in this situation again, but she had dreamed it too many times to be caught by surprise.

"Where were you when this happened?" Korra asked Asami.

"Right in front of Fire Lord Zuko's statue. It was really crowded until the trouble started. Everyone scattered and no one helped." she said as she began to compose herself.

"Let's go." was all Korra said before grabbing Bolin's hand and pulling him along to the window.

"Jump!" she ordered. Bolin nodded, wide-eyed and followed her lead. Korra used airbending to make a cushion of air stop their fall. Regaining balance, Korra helped pull a queasy Bolin back on his feet and ran to Naga, who sensing her friend's panic, was up and on alert. Both she and Bolin clambered onto the polar-bear dog's back and were off.

It was twenty minutes before they reached the square with Zuko's statue. Naga whined, unsure of what to do. Her riders scanned the surrounding area and both reached the same conclusion. The streets were as packed and busy as always. There was no sign of a struggle. No clue as to where Mako had been taken.

"The only thing left to do is to track him by scent. Have anything of his?" Korra asked.

"Yeah but it's all back at the stadium...is that?" Bolin jumped off of Naga and ran to a trashcan; where a bit of red fabric was poking out from under the lid. He opened the bin and took out Mako's beloved scarf. He walked back with slightly shaking hands and offered it to Naga.

"Is this good enough?" he asked. Naga wagged her tail and prepared to bound off. Korra outstretched an arm and pulled Bolin back onboard.

"Let's go Naga." She shook her reins and they took off towards the busy streets. Naga took them to the docks and stopped. She sniffed the air, confused. She went up right to the edge of the wooden walkway and whined as she pointed her snout to the water far below them. Both Korra and Bolin dismounted and looked as far as they could to the water below.

"They wouldn't drown him, would they?" Bolin asked in a terrified whisper.

"I don't think so, but I hope not." she answered him. She jumped over the railing and hung off the edge, peering at the bottom of the deck. Her face brightened as she looked up at her friend.

"I think we just found another equalist base of operations." she pointed at whatever she was looking at. Bolin just lay on the ground and put his torso under the railing to hang upside down.

"I thought all equalists were crazy dedicated! It's kinda nice to know that even they fall asleep on the job." he and she grinned and jumped onto the ledge connecting to the unused sewage pipe below them. They treaded quietly as they walked past the snoring guard and entered the dark, gloomy and somewhat humid pipe.

"At least being somewhat short is an advantage here. If I were Mako's height, I'd have to squat to fit." Bolin whispered with a bit of forced glee. Korra knew he was trying to keep the situation less dire by joking. He knew full well how difficult it is to escape from an equalist base, as he had been caught before. True, they were both able to walk comfortably through the huge tube, but that was the only advantage. Soon it got dark and Korra wouldn't risk lighting a fire for fear of being seen.

"Korra? You still there? I can't see anything!" Bolin called out in a whisper. Korra stopped walking to let him bump into her.

"I'm right here. Grab my hand, so we don't get separated." she whispered. He found her shoulder first and blindly let his hand travel downward until he reached her awaiting hand. He clasped it and Korra was surprised to feel that his hand was dry and sturdy, not clammy like her own. They froze when they heard shuffling from in front of them and saw a small light up ahead.

They both had the same idea. Together, and as quietly as they could, they bent the curved wall behind them forward and formed a box to cover both of them and pushed it back to curve against the wall. It merely looked as if the pipe had a minor manufacturing error.

"Korra, can you get your knee off of my behind?" Bolin asked in a whisper.

"I will once you stop digging your elbow into my side." she muttered back. Bolin sighed and stayed quiet, but didn't make any attempt to relocate his elbow. Korra did likewise. Luckily, Bolin had thought of leaving a small hole in their disguise to be able to spy on the oncoming enemies.

"But we never have captives brought here. Why now?" one of the masked chi blockers said to the other. "It smells, why couldn't we just stay at the regular headquarters?"

"Apparently that idiot Tarrlok has been busier than we talk. There might be spies at the other base. The boy was brought here because he's the brother of the one we want. It's too risky to keep him in the city." his companion replied.

Bolin almost whooped with joy. They were in the right place and Mako was alive! He also felt Korra relax beside him.

"What is the plan for that boy anyway? It doesn't seem like he's ever going to talk, and Amon still refuses to torture him." the first one said.

"He's threatened to take away his bending. Jak told me just before I met up with you. He's standing guard outside the door. Did you hear? He just got permission to use the electricity rods!"

Their voices trailed off as they walked away. Korra and Bolin had been holding in their breaths and let them out at the same time.

"Bo, we've got to get to Mako before..."

"Yeah." Bolin answered slowly. He wasted no time in bending them out of their hiding place and grabbing Korra's hand. Together they raced down the tunnel, hardly trying to stay silent. Their footsteps slapped loudly against the concrete but strangely, no alarm was raised. In realizing this, Bolin stopped dead in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" Korra asked, itching to fight somebody.

"I get the feeling this might be a trap. Why haven't we been spotted yet?" he answered, trying in vain to scope out enemies in the darkness.

"Long tunnel, rarely used facility and bad security?" Korra guessed.

"But if what those two said is true and Amon is here, shouldn't security be less lax?" He persisted.

"Well then I don't know! Let's just concentrate on finding Mako!" Korra found her patience wearing thin as her nerves got tenser. Why did Bolin look so calm when his brother was in danger?

Bolin seemed to be reading her thoughts and said, "I know it may not seem like it, and it may not be cool but I'm trying not to cry right now, so please work with me here." His voice was shockingly quiet. Korra couldn't see his face but she found that his voice had been sounding choked for a while.

"I mean, I know you like him or love him and he's your friend and you're really worried too but..." his voice trailed off as if he realized what his heightened fear was letting him say. He just stayed quiet and continued to pull her along.

Korra tried to distinguish his form in front of her. He was big, and it was brightening a bit, so she was able to discern that his head was down.

"I don't." she muttered.

"You don't what?" he asked, not slowing down.

"I don't love Mako."

"He said you said you did." His voice was getting a bit louder, but not reproachful. It was as if he wanted to get the problem over with.

"It was a...spur of the moment thing. I don't think i meant it." Korra answered.

"You don't THINK you meant it?" Bolin spun around to face her. His voice sounded a bit upset. "So you were playing with him? You didn't mean what you told him?"

"What? I thought you said you wouldn't judge me! That I was still learning!" Korra said reproachfully.

"Well yeah, but I can't be okay with you playing with my bro's feelings! He actually...he actually probably likes you too." Bolin started to turn back around but Korra yanked him back and used her free hand to form a small fireball. It lighted up both of their faces. Korra looked confused but disdainful and Bolin looked completely beaten down. He sighed and looked away from her brilliant blue eyes.

"Right now's not the time to be talking about this." he was about to pull her hand from his when suddenly, bright lights turned on all around them and blinded the two friends. They were standing in the middle of a giant circular room with doors all around. They had left the tunnel a few feet behind them.

"Finally! I do admit that I was getting a little tired of waiting."


	3. Chapter 3

Bolin spun around and pushed Korra back, letting himself be a shield between her and the masked man that had just spoken.

"Oh good," Amon continued, "I had been starting to think that my sources were mistaken. After listening to your dull conversation I joyfully thought that I had actually captured the right brother by happy mistake. I did dread that I would have to later reprimand my underlings. But as it turns out, our little Avatar does indeed have feelings for the younger bending brother."

Bolin didn't seem to be processing any of what was being said.

"Where is my brother?" he yelled at Amon, while still making a now restless Korra back away with him slowly.

"Ugh, Bolin let me go! I need to get this bastard back for what he did to me on Aang's memorial!" She yelled. His grip didn't loosen.

"It's quite a shame you two didn't get here a few minutes earlier. I had just finished taking that other one's bending when I was informed of your presence." Amon waved his hand, as if the matter was trivial.

"That other one's name is Mako and you're going to pay if what you did to him is true!" Korra screamed.

Chi benders dropped from the ceiling, wielding sparking rods.

"I told you this before Korra; I am not making a martyr out of you. It is not your time. But I don't see the problem with reminding a few pro-benders of their place in this world. The fact that they're dear to you is just an added bonus."

Both Korra and Bolin snarled at the man and flew into action. But even with their great teamwork and effort, they were no match for the chi blockers. Bolin was taken down by three unison hits of electricity to his back and Korra failed to dodge a chi bender that jumped on her after she had finished off a counterpart.

They both fell to the floor, unable to move their bodies but still aiming ugly grimaces at Amon and his lackeys. Under the mask, the leader of the equalists was most likely smiling.

"What are you going to do to us?" Korra growled.

"Oh, I'm done for today. I'm going to let your friend go and he can drag you both back to that pathetic arena you seem to like spending time in."

"You're not...going to take away our bending?" Bolin managed to say as he was starting to regain his strength. He tried to prop himself back up, but that only prompted another shock in the shoulder.

"I thought I had made that obvious." Amon stated as he walked away. All the chi blockers followed except for two of them. From off to the left, a door opened and another masked equalist dragged an unconscious Mako towards them. They were tied together and pulled up a manhole by some sort of pulley system.

Another equalist opened the manhole from the outside and pulled them out onto the abandoned street. As soon as he untied them, he left the three unmoving friends the abandoned alley somewhere in Republic City.

"Bolin, hey Bo, wake up."

Bolin struggled to open his eyes. He had a hard time figuring out why he was in so much pain. Sure, his bed wasn't the most comfortable, but it had never seemed this rock solid.

Wait. Rock. He was lying on concrete.

Bolin's eyes flew open as he sat up, nearly bumping foreheads with Mako.

"Mako! Bro!" Bolin launched himself at his older brother.

"Hey, hey okay Bo, calm down!" Mako chuckled a bit as he returned his brother's hug

"You're okay! You're alive! Wait….What about...did he really take your..." Bolin's voice trailed off with the question.

"Yeah. It's gone." Mako's voice perfectly matched his sullen face and sad eyes. "I'm sorry Bo. I cost us the pro bending championship. Well I guess you could find another fire bender. Or Korra could take my place and you could convince Hasook to come back. He always liked you more than me." Mako struggled to keep a steady voice. Bolin just hugged his brother even harder.

"We'll get your bending back bro. Not for the tournament, but for you. I know how much you love it." Bolin promised.

"That's impossible." Mako said quietly.

"We can't be too sure about that." Korra said from behind them. Bolin looked up and saw the water tribe girl looking particularly gorgeous as she rode her polar bear dog with the sunset to her back.

"What? What do you mean?" he asked, shaking his head to snap out of it.

"Well," she jumped off of Naga, "Really, the only time that someone's bending has been taken away was when Avatar Aang did it. I honestly can't see how Amon does it."

"What are you getting at?" Mako asked.

"Think about it. Amon uses chi blockers to terrify us. If he has the power to take away bending, that would take an enormous amount of spiritual power." she continued.

"That only an Avatar is capable of?" Bolin asked.

"Yeah, I guess." she answered.

"You guess? You're basing your speculations on a guess?" Mako raised an eyebrow at her.

"What else do I have to go on?"

"No, hold on. I think she's on to something," Bolin held up his hands to appease them. "Really. He shouldn't be able to take away bending."

"Okay. Well while you two theorize, I'm going to find my girlfriend, who is probably worried sick." Mako stood up and left, hands in his pockets.

"Hey Mako, hold up." Korra jogged toward him. She handed him his scarf and gripped his shoulder.

"We'll figure something out." She assured him.

"Korra, they were looking for him. They took my bending because I wouldn't tell them where he was. They don't seem to know that we live in the attic. And they must've been desperate to attack me in broad daylight."

"Amon is pretty scary; I'd try to do as he says if I worked for him too." Korra shrugged. Mako looked at her, tired.

"Why were they looking for him?" He asked. Korra shuffled her feet uncomfortably.

"It seems that they wanted to get rid of some pro-benders and friends of mine. Perhaps Bolin fit that description."

Mako looked at her disbelievingly. She noticed and sighed.

"Also it seems they thought that he and I were in love or something." she rushed her answer. Mako blanched.

"You mean...this all happened because you couldn't make up your mind!" Mako voice rose higher.

"You're blaming this on me?" Korra backed away in disbelief.

"They probably saw you two out on your date and jumped to conclusions! Because of your selfish indecisiveness, you almost put him in the situation that the Triple Threats did before!" Mako's voice dropped to an angry whisper halfway through when he saw Bolin looking at them with curiosity.

Korra indignantly stamped her foot. "I already apologized for that! I didn't mean to lead him on or whatever! He shouldn't have asked me out in the first place! Shouldn't he have noticed that I was feeling down?"

"That's probably why he did it, to cheer you up! How was he supposed to know you had just been rejected!" Mako defended his brother, his whisper threatening to rise in volume.

"He's always bragging about how girls love him! He must've had to deal with a ton of them before!" Korra retaliated.

"He may have a bunch of fangirls but he's never gotten to know any of them! He's even more awkward around girls than I am!"

"Isn't that a bit childish?" Korra leaned back and put her hands on her hips.

"Yes, he is very childish. I've worked hard to keep him that way. I didn't want to make him face the hardships I had to face. It may be bad at times but I much prefer for him to be childish than being miserable." And with that, Mako turned around and stormed away.

Korra sighed and went back to where Bolin was now scratching Naga's ears.

"What was that all about?" he asked, without looking up. He was hiding his face from her, he had heard everything.

"Just Mako being Mako." was her hasty answer.

"Ah." he replied curtly. He looked up and smiled at her. "Thanks."

"For what?" she sounded surprised.

"Helping me find him." he answered.

"Hey, no problem. We're all buddies here, right?" She said.

"Yeah." his wide smiled shrunk a little bit. "Pals."

"I'm sorry we didn't get to him in time." Korra scratched her head awkwardly.

"Hey, that's no one's fault. So what was your theory on Amon's whole 'I AM ALL POWERFUL AND YOU'LL BE LAST KOOOORRA' thing? You really think it's reversible? "Bolin stood up and brushed himself off.

Korra chuckled at his impression. "What I really think he does...is more chi blocking. I mean, he puts his hands on his victims' heads, like pressing chi points on the brain. I think it sort of leaves them under the impression that they...can't bend?"

Bolin looked at her quizzically.

"I know, I sound crazy." she gave a small shrug.

"Not crazy. BRILLIANT!" he gushed. "Really! Who's to say that he's not chi blocking brains!"

Korra brightened at his support. "Though I still don't know why it seems to be permanent." she said. Bolin paused to think.

"Well...if you were told you couldn't bend, you wouldn't believe at first. So you'd try for days and when that failed, you'd give up."

"So when your bending came back..." Korra mused.

"You wouldn't even know!" Bolin punched the air in light of their discovery.

"But wait, isn't that a bit messy? Putting everything on the idea that they'll never try to bend again? It seems a bit unrealistic for an organization like the equalists. "Korra said. Bolin's face dropped.

"Maybe...maybe they sneak up on them when they're sleeping and do it all over again? It's not like there've been more than a handful of people who Amon chose to attack." Bolin was desperate to keep on the bright side.

"Well whatever happens, we've got each other's backs, right?" Korra smiled down at him once she had jumped onto Naga's back. She offered him her hand to pull him up onto her ride.

"There's always that." He mimed her crooked grin and took up her offer. They headed to the stadium.


	4. Chapter 4

"Korra. Korra wake up. Come on I need to talk to you. Kooooorraaaa."

Korra frowned in her half-awake state. She turned around in a mass of flailing limbs and smacked Bolin across his face.

"Ow, okay! I'll leave!" he said as he rubbed the side of his face.

"Huh? Bo? What're you doing here?" Korra asked blearily as she sat up.

"Mako had his bending taken away by Amon, you and I formed a crazy theory, we decided to test it away from the city and you decided here would be the safest place so you asked Tenzin if we could stay here for a while and he said yes and told you to go to sleep because your Water Tribe priestess was going to get here tomorrow and-" he stopped when Korra put her hand against his mouth.

"It's too early." she said somewhat grumpily. Bolin said something muffled against the palm of her hand. She rolled her eyes and let go.

"Yes, yes I know. Mornings are evil." He smiled a bit sadly at her as she decided that he wasn't worth it and covered herself with her blanket again. Bolin entertained himself by playing with the fur lining on her boots. His hand paused and he looked up at her.

"Korra?" he asked a little meekly. All he got in response was a grunt, which made him smile even more. "Why do you sleep in your boots?"

The gibberish that came out of her mouth and into her pillow made it impossible for him to understand.

"Sorry, come again?" he cupped his ears, mocking. She raised her head from the pillow and aimed a kick at him. It missed his face by a foot.

"I said, most of the time; when I reach this room I'm too exhausted to undress so I just fall asleep."

He laughed. "And you're not uncomfortable?"

"I can't really tell when I'm asleep. Weren't you going to say something to me?" she gave up and sat back up, eying him distastefully. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Technically it's not even morning. It's five minutes to midnight."

"What? Really!" Korra turned around to look outside her window, apparently noticing it was still dark out.

"Yeah. So don't give me that look, sleepy head, you still have plenty of time to rest."

"Alright, out with it then. Why'd you wake me up?"

Bolin hesitated before answering. "I couldn't fall asleep?"

Korra pouted, upset at him for waking her up when she had been having such nice (totally not treacherous to her previous emotional victory) Mako related dreams. She had been reliving the admittedly, not nicely timed kiss but... it had still been enjoyable. She let a foolish grin overcome her face but soon caught herself when she realized who she was in front of. Bolin was looking at her, curiously oblivious to her thought process. And he looked as adorable as usual. She blushed. She had no idea why but she blushed. Then she remembered again, why Bolin and his brother were here and her pleasant dream filled her with guilt.

"I can't catch a break, can I?" she muttered.

"With what?" Bolin asked.

"Oh, nothing." she chuckled awkwardly. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

"Mako talks in his sleep." Bolin stated.

"Ah. So what did he say?" she asked innocently, as she could already tell by his look and uncomfortable squirming that it hadn't been something good.

"Please Korra, I know you don't really know how to deal with guys..." he started, and seemed unwilling to voice that he was a prime example, "So if you're really going to go for Mako, wait. If he likes you more than Asami, he'll leave her eventually."

Korra looked at him blankly. "But I said that we should all just be friends! It's working! We're all good, aren't we? And besides, now's not exactly the time to be thinking about these things, right?"

Bolin looked at her as if trying to fight back a laugh or a sob. She tensed, expecting the latter. He sighed heavily instead.

"I can see the way you look at each other. I see you blush and I hear him talk in his sleep. Really, I appreciate you trying to spare our feelings and avoiding further awkwardness, but it's not fooling anyone. And now with what's happened… I just don't want him to get hurt more than he already is. His firebending…it kept us alive. It means the world to him."

At that moment Naga chose to poke her head in through the window. She licked both Korra and Bolin in turn, breaking the ice. He petted her furry friend's head, inciting another round of licking, leaving his hair sticking out unevenly.

He mussed Naga's fur as revenge. She didn't seem to mind, she just wanted to plant more wet kisses on her human buddies.

"Naga, I really like your new style." Korra tried a smile as she saw that Bolin had finished getting all of the fur on her head and neck in disarray. Naga whined a bit and pulled back her head to shake herself out outside.

"Ah! Pabu! Where is he?" Korra asked.

"Asami and he hit it off while we were off rescuing Mako. I guess he did have magical paws after all. He sure helped her calm down. He's with her back in the city. Mako told me he didn't have the heart to take him away. He said he was sleeping on Asami's lap when he went to go see her at her house, where Pabu had followed her after we took so long." Bolin put on a light-hearted tone.

"Ah." was her short reply. They sat in silence for a few minutes. After a while she reached over to remove her boots. Bolin smiled a bit and stood up to leave the room.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to our room before Tenzin comes to check up on you."

"Ah. Well goodnight." she said and lay back down on her bed. Bolin stopped at her door and bit his lip, looking back at her now resting figure.

"Mako apologized to me. A lot. About his bending. About letting himself get captured. He called himself worthless. He seemed a bit okay back in the city. He was just putting on the brave face he always does. And he asked you wait for a while. Something about being confused. I couldn't stand to listen anymore." Bolin got out in one breath. He was too afraid to look back at her, but he heard her sit up.

"Really?" came her surprised but obviously hopeful whisper after hearing the last bit of his speech. That pretty much crushed whatever was left of him.

"You know, I meant it. What I said that day. I do think you're awesome and amazing. So thank you for the fun time we had. And thank you most of all for finding him and helping me get him back alive. Thank you so much Korra. You're an amazing friend." and with that, he fled the room.

"What?" He heard Korra say as he sped away. In her room, Korra turned to Naga, who had put her head through the window again. Naga just whined and licked her head.

Back in his room, Bolin tripped over the edge of his bed and fell loudly onto his bed. Mako woke up.

"Bro? You okay?" he turned on the lamp beside him.

"Yeah. Just being clumsy." Bolin kept his back to his brother and crawled under his blanket. He didn't fool his older brother.

"Oh really?" Mako swung his feet over the side of the bed and sat up.

"Yes, really." Bolin answered from under the covers.

Seeming to read his brother's mind, Mako sighed.

"I thought we were past all of that."

"All of what?" Bolin asked guiltily.

"All the Korra stuff. We decided to be friends didn't we? I said it was a bad ide-" Mako didn't get to finish as Bolin interrupted.

"You're a bad idea!"

"Is that seriously the only comeback you have?" Mako asked tiredly. Bolin grumbled something unintelligible from under his covers. Mako rolled his eyes and lay back down. Bolin could sense it, how beaten down his brother was. Of course, to mostly anyone else he would seem to be behaving as he always did. But he was different right now. The nagging was too forced, and everything seemed to tire him out. Usually, he never fell asleep before midnight, but a few hours after they had arrived at the island and were shown their rooms, he crashed. Bolin was left to sit in the dark, standing guard over his guardian.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mako tense, as if he knew Bolin was upset, which of course, he did, and he was. Bolin wasn't about to let his brother know that his efforts at acting normal were in vain. Bolin quickly spoke about the first non-Amon related thing that came to his mind.

"I said it when I first found her, that I knew she was special. I'm sorry Mako. I know you like her too, but I want her." He froze, horrified of what he had just babbled. Bolin uncovered his head long enough to gaze at Mako's reaction only to find his brother's face was as passive as ever.

"You do realize," Mako finally spoke up, "that she's not a toy or something. She's a girl. With feelings."

"Yeah I know." Bolin said. "Why?"

"You said you wanted her. As if she were a possession." Mako clarified.

"No, I didn't mean it like that." Bolin threw back his covers to look at Mako earnestly.

"Than what did you mean?"

Bolin was at a loss for words. "I'm not sure. It just slipped out."

"Well think. Instead of concentrating on what Korra can give to you, think of what you can offer her."

"What she can give..?...MAKO YOU GENIUS!" Bolin jumped up and ran out of the room again. This time, a very perplexed and awake Mako followed him.

Bolin barged into Korra's room and shook her awake.

"Again, Bolin! It may not have been morning before, but it sure is now!" Korra smacked his hands away with a burst of air.

"Again?" Mako asked, still unaware of where his younger brother had been before.

"Korra! If the Avatar has been known to be able to take away bending, can they give it back too?"

Korra stared up at him quizzically. Her eyes swept past him and looked at Mako, who in her eyes, was managing pretty well with what had been done to him.

"I don't know, maybe?" she answered. "But even so, it's not connected to Mako's predicament. I don't know what Amon did to him or Tahno or to those Triple Threats. It's different from what Aang did."

Bolin's face fell slightly. "Well it's something to go on at least, right?"

"Yeah. Actually after you left I was thinking...what if by blocking it, he somehow traps the ability to bend in the bender? Unable to use chakras?"

Bolin shrugged and Mako continued to look lost.

"What?" Mako asked to no one in particular, unable to find the motivation to say anything else.

"Oh." Bolin turned to his brother and explained everything while Korra just stared at them both, lost in thought.

"Korra, wake up, your new tutor has arrived. What happened here?" Tenzin walked into Korra's room with his hands clasped behind his back and a bemused expression on his face.

Korra had fallen asleep backwards on her bed, her head almost hanging off the end of the foot of the mattress. Only Bolin's arm kept it from falling, as she was using it as a pillow. He was sprawled out with his back against one of the corners of the bed and his head thrown back on top of a balled up blanket. Mako was on her other side, sitting with his arms crossed and resting on the bed as his pillow as she clutched his red scarf, as if she were about to throttle him.

Tenzin chuckled and decided to let Jinora, Ikki and Meelo wake them up later.


	5. Chapter 5

Asami stroked Mako's hair as he rested his head on her lap. She was visiting the island for the first time, and was looking around with an interested air. Her boyfriend had hardly spoken two words to her since her arrival a couple of hours ago. But she didn't resent him for it. She knew he must be going through an awful time. Not being a bender, she couldn't even imagine what he was feeling. She only supposed that it was tantamount to waking up and realizing you couldn't talk. She removed her fingers from his hair and looked to her left, where Pabu was sitting beside her, unusually still.

Pabu perked his head up as he saw Bolin approach and ran off to meet his beloved human. Asami looked up too and offered the boy a smile. She saw that he appeared to be panicked, but calmed down once his eyes found his brother. He returned her gesture and nodded questioningly towards his brother, who had his eyes closed.

"He met me at the docks. I told him yesterday after he went to see me that I would come and check on him in the morning." she answered his unspoken question.

"Oh. That would explain it. I kinda freaked out when Ikki and Jinora woke me up and snoring Korra was the only other person in the room." Bolin said, reaching down to pick up his fire ferret.

"Korra? You both slept with Korra in her room?" Asami asked in a pleasant voice, but with raised eyebrows.

Bolin's face turned red. "Nothing happened!" he exclaimed in a much too loud voice. Mako opened one eye and looked at his brother, a small but obviously forced smirk quirking at the corner of his mouth.

"I wasn't implying anything." she responded cooly.

"Oh okay good." he said quickly.

"Good morning, Korra." Asami said when she spotted her walking towards them. Bolin's face got redder and he spun around to face her.

"Heeeey Korra. I see Ikki was finally able to get you to get up." he stuffed his hands in his pockets uncomfortably and grinned at her.

"Ugh, yeah. She basically smashed me against the ceiling." Korra answered, rubbing her eyes.

"But it's already 9! At what time do you usually wake up?" Asami asked incredulously. Korra looked at her with squinted eyes, trying to figure out if she was joking or not.

"I think waking up at nine is normal." Korra answered with a shrug once she determined Asami's sincerity. Asami raised her eyebrows slightly again and gave a small laugh. "I see."

Korra tried to ignore it when Asami resumed stroking Mako's hair. But she frowned confusedly, wondering why Mako hadn't said a word. He was usually so...

"Oh." Korra whispered. She had forgotten again. It was as if her brain were trying to keep the memory of yesterday locked away. It seemed that Bolin was right. Of course he was. Of course an overprotective brother like Mako wouldn't break down in front of Bolin.

Mako frowned, as if sensing her thoughts. Korra cleared her throat.

"Well I'm going to meet with my new teacher. Anyone wanna come with?" she asked.

"Actually, I would prefer it if our first lesson remained private." came a voice from their right. They all looked over to see Lin, Tenzin and a woman wearing Water Tribe clothes walking towards them. The woman looked younger than they expected. She seemed to be in her mid-thirties, her white hair a stark difference from her dark face. She smiled at Korra, who ran up to her and bowed.

"Priestess Yani! It's an honor to finally meet you!" Korra beamed up at her. Korra looked over at Officer Lin, confused about her presence.

"Yani is a highly important member of the Northern Water Tribe. She requires protection." Lin answered Korra in a dry voice. Korra's face fell slightly. She thought that she and the officer were on friendly terms now after the arena incident.

"Thank you. I'm glad she's able to stay here to teach me and that you're ensuring her safety." Korra said, trying to coax some friendliness out of the severe woman. It worked. She smiled.

"Yes, the council believes I need some sort of guardian. After all, we don't want a repeat of what happened to the last priestess, Yue." Yani said somewhat exasperatedly.

"What happened to her?" Bolin asked from behind them.

"She turned into the moon." Korra pointed up.

Bolin's eyes widened and his jaw slackened.

"Oh. Right. That's completely normal." Bolin said. "Well I'm going back inside. Good luck Korra. Nice meeting you, Miss Priestess." He gave Yani a flashy bow and walked back inside the house with Pabu clambering all over his shoulders.

"Well, shall we?" Yani said and gestured for Korra to follow her. Soon enough Mako and Asami were the only ones left outside on the steps.

"Mako? Stupid question but... Are you okay?" Asami asked quietly. Mako didn't open his eyes but gave a tiny nod.

"You could've fooled me." she answered and started playing with his scarf instead. Mako gripped her hand and held it tightly for a while. His grip then softened and he let go, but Asami caught it again.

"I know I'm not a bender but...you can always talk to me if you want." she said. Mako smiled gratefully at her and gave her hand a little squeeze, but he didn't open his eyes.

Asami frowned, a little sadly. "I'm sorry." she said.

"Why? You're not at fault for anything. It's not like you're an equalist." Mako finally opened his eyes to look up at his girlfriend.

"I'm just sorry for the pain you must be in. Does it hurt?"

"It's not like there's a physical pain to it. It's more...depression than anything." Mako admitted.

"So why did they take you when they wanted Bolin?" Asami asked. Mako shrugged.

"I don't know, but I'm glad they didn't get to him." Mako sighed.

"That seems a bit odd. Why take either of you without justification?" Asami wondered.

"Actually... They seemed to be under the impression that Korra and Bo were a couple." Mako explained.

"Why?"

"Someone probably saw them on their date weeks ago and jumped to conclusions."

"Date? And they aren't a couple?" Asami asked. Mako chuckled a bit.

"Well that would make things far too easy." The romantic tension they had been undergoing seemed to pale in significance given his current state.

"I'm never going to firebend again." He stated in a heavy voice. Asami pulled him up and made him sit up. Then she hugged him tightly. He fell into her embrace eagerly and let her arms (stronger than he expected) support him for the moment. She was perfect, how much she cared, her entire being.

"I'm sorry." she repeated. He just held on to her, as if the embrace was the only thing keeping him together.

"Mako? Want to go to the city? Get away from all of these reminders?" she asked, pulling away after a few minutes and giving him a gentle smile.

"I'd like that. Let me just go tell Bolin." he stood up and walked back inside. Asami watched him go with a very sad expression, willing herself to stay cheerful as she planned their journey into the city. She would need to be on guard, in case any of the equalists decided that they weren't through with him. He probably didn't know how to fight well without bending, and she doubted she could take them all by herself if caught by surprise again. She'd stick to populated areas, where she knew Chief Lin always had guards posted.

"Alright, he knows. Where are we headed?" Mako came back and offered her his hand to hoist her up off the stairs. She took it and flashed him a smile.

"Somewhere fun." she led him toward the docks. They boarded the ferry and set off for the city.

Bolin watched from the window as the ferry left the dock.

"Hey, Mr. Earthbender! Mr. Earthbender!" Bolin heard a high pitched voice call him from behind. Ikki was riding on a whirling ball of wind, racing straight to him. So fast, Boling panicked and raised his arms up, shielding himself from the seemingly inevitable crash while emitting a squeal.

He heard her giggle and lowered his arms to find her standing right in front of him. He relaxed and tried to compose himself to his usual (cool) demeanor.

"What's your name? Favorite color? What's that pretty girl's name? The one this morning? With your brother? He is your brother right? Right? That's the one that Korra always talks about. She says he drives her crazy. But she said that a while ago I'm not sure if she still thinks that- OW! Jinora!" Ikki pouted and turned around to glare at her older sister, who had launched an apple at her head from the doorway.

Bolin kept the smile on his face, although he was processing what Ikki had said. Jinora walked up to them slowly and gave Bolin an apologetic smile. She then patted the beck of Ikki's head where the apple had struck and led her sister away by the hand.

"Bolin. Green. Actually….no, blue. Her name is Asami. She's my brother's girlfriend. Yes, he is my brother. His name is Mako." Bolin called out after them, though he doubted that Ikki heard the answers she had asked for. She was quiet for once, leaning in close to Jinora, who was whispering something in her ear.

"Her eyes are blue…." Bolin dropped the smile in light of Ikki's exclamation.


	6. Chapter 6

Korra lay on her stomach on the floor of her room. Stomach fire chakra. Remorse. Shame. The attack on the equalists in training. Her own arrogance and now painfully obvious ignorance.

Bolin. Mako.

Seriously? She hadn't considered that she was still hung up over that. They were her only two friends. Well, Asami didn't seem too bad... But Bolin had been her first friend. Really, he was the one that was always by her. Even when she was a jerk. And then she made him cry. Reeeeeally well played.

"Ugh!" she punched the ground in frustration. Yani had told her to mull things over. She gave Korra one more day to put herself in order. After all, Yani could only stay for two weeks and it had already taken them two days to work out her Earth chakra at the base of her spine. And that took some heavy help from Tenzin.

Her fears revolved around Amon and everything that he had managed to force Korra into facing about herself. She had never thought of herself as weak and helpless until the night on the island, with him standing over her, blatantly calling her a simple tool to be discarded. And she had been helpless and terrified. That was something she never wanted to let happen again. Yet she accepted it, and thus opening the first chakra.

The water chakra had been easier. Her parents had forgiven her for every crazy incident she had gotten herself into. Even the run in with the Naga's dying mom. She had just started to learn to heal, how could they expect anything else from her? Anyway, the scar had healed and least Naga had survived. There was no guilt in her childhood. Though in coming to Republic City...She could admit she was naive, but she was working hard to learn. And both of the bending brothers had forgiven her. Mako didn't blame them for not reaching him on time. There was no reason to be guilty.

Shame. She had never before even experienced it. She was too brash and headstrong. But they had welcomed her-FORGIVEN her and relieved her guilt. So now all she had left was to allow herself to feel like a proper human being was the shame she believed she deserved. But Yani didn't allow her that. This was the third day dealing with her fire chakra. No more time could be wasted. She had to find a way to forgive herself.

Outside, she heard Asami laugh followed by an onslaught of giggles from the airbending kids. She supposed they had played some practical joke on Mako judging from splashing noises and his playful roar. She frowned, noticing someone was missing. Where was Bolin's booming laugh?

Bolin. He could help her.

She sat up with grim determination. She felt shame because despite of what had happened, she had still enjoyed Mako's kiss. Yet she liked Bolin just a bit more. And she had decided to let Mako go. Asami was good for him. But her shame...It could be caused by the gnawing curiosity growing in her brain. Mako's kiss had been enjoyable, sure. But it hadn't felt...right?

"Is that it? Right?" Korra spoke her thoughts, weighing them on her tongue. Her face fell to a pout and she decided she wasn't much good at thinking. Talking and doing was more her style. So she'd do just that.

She left her room and explored the entire house to track him down. But he wasn't in his room or in the kitchen. He wasn't outside with everyone else. She decided to meander around the entire island to hunt him down. But he found her first as he turned the corner leading out of the library and crashed into her. They both fell to the floor.

"Ah! I'm so sorry I wasn't looking where...Korra? What? They said you NEVER come to the library." Bolin stared at her and then hastened to help her gather the books strewn around them that had just been in his arms.

"Well yeah. It's really boring... Wait, were you avoiding me?" Korra tried to keep her voice from betraying her emotions.

"Avoiding you? Hahaha, no!" Bolin answered a little too loudly, prompting dirty looks from the monks walking past them. He realized that and lowered his voice, putting his hand to the side of his mouth.

"I've just been trying to read up on chi stuff. You know, to help Mako. I'm kind of a really slow reader though... so it's taking a while but I'm getting there!"

"Oh. Well, can we go talk somewhere?" Korra asked, too aware of the dirty looks the monks were shooting at them for talking.

"Yeah sure, what's up?" he stood up slowly, balancing the pile of books in his arms.

"Where can we go?" she asked, also standing up and ignoring his question. She was pretty sure he had actually been avoiding her. He gave her a confused look but shrugged and led the way outside. She followed him, peering over his shoulder to read the titles of his books.

He opened the door to a small, dusty room filled with scrolls. The only light came from a circular skylight in the center of the ceiling.

"So," he sat down in a corner of the room, gently shoving a few scrolls aside "What do you wanna talk about?"

Korra sat down too and found that even sitting, she still had to look up to meet his eyes. He looked down at her with his head slightly cocked to the side, a pleasant smile on his face.

"What is this room?" Korra asked him.

"I got kicked out of the library three days ago because I talk to myself when I read." he answered sheepishly. "And Pabu found this place. No one ever comes in here."

"Why?" Korra asked, spying an airbending scroll and snatching it up to read it hungrily.

"Well I guess because all of these got put into books instead." Bolin said, opening a random scroll himself. He frowned at it with disinterest and rolled it back up. He looked up at Korra, who seemed far too interested in the yellow paper in front of her.

"Soooo, how's it going with the priestess? Yani, right?" Bolin asked with a raised eyebrow, intent on getting her attention.

"Fine." Korra said.

"You know, one of these scrolls said something about being able to sense when people are lying. Earthbenders are especially good at gaining that talent. I think I'll give it a go." Bolin said casually, leaning back against the wall with his hands behind his head. Korra pouted and looked up at him a bit guiltily.

"Yani has me trying to clear my chakras to reach the Avatar state. Right now I'm stuck because I can't let go of what keeps me from clearing it." Korra set aside her scroll and let her arms lay limp on her lap. Bolin formed a thoughtful expression and stroked the invisible beard on his chin.

"And what's holding you back? Doubt? Fear?" he asked.

"Shame." Korra replied in a heavy, flat voice.

"Shame?" he seemed to be a bit taken aback "Ashamed of what?"

"A lot of things but mainly...how wonderful you and Mako have been to me and how awful I've been to you."

"What? Really? But I told you that we don't blame you. You can let that go! And you helped save both of us! Seriously, you're wonderful to us too!" he patted her shoulder reassuringly. She grimaced and shied away. Bolin's fade adapted the appearance of confusion and pain.

"What can I do to help?" he asked.

"Don't offer me that. I'm not..." Korra couldn't keep up her train of thought, because at that moment, Bolin hugged her.

"You're too hard on yourself, Miss Avatar. You have no reason to feel shame." He told her as he held her. Her whole body just tensed at the contact, unsure of what to do.

"But I can't let it go. It's the only thing that makes me feel halfway decent." she answered, still awkwardly tense. Bolin laughed.

"Now that feels like a lie. There's something you're not telling me." Bolin stated, letting her go. Her mouth hung open in shock.

"You hugged me to feel my heartbeat?" She said, affronted.

"No, but you were so tense I couldn't help but notice. Apparently Chief Bei-Fong's mother was really adept at that. Maybe I could get the chief to teach me... Hahahahaha, yeah right." Bolin said aloud, more to himself than to her.

Korra frowned and put her head down. "There's something I'm curious about."

"Regarding?" Bolin's face was friendly and open, genuinely wanting to help her. She felt it, just like back in the arena when she had healed his arm. He didn't mind if she hurt him. As his soft green eyes gazed at her, waiting for her to continue, her own blue found his. The eye contact made him blush slightly. With that, Korra decided to stop thinking and to act.

"So, here we are. Two alone people, alone..." she tried copying his flirtatious manner but found that she wasn't as suave. That prompted a giggle from Bolin.

"What are you doing, Korra?" he asked, laughter twinkling in his eyes.

"Not thinking. Didn't work out as well as I had hoped." Korra admitted.

"Yeah, but trying to flirt? What is that? I thought you were trying to deal with your shame...oh. Oh I see." his gaze hardened and he stopped laughing. "You want a comparison. That's why you're ashamed." Bolin hit the nail on the head.

"N-no! Of course that's not it I only meant-"

"Don't make me hug you again." Bolin warned, wagging his finger at her only half-joking. Korra gulped and put her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry. I'll find another way to-" she was again stopped by Bolin, whose calloused hands removed her own from her face. She bit her lip and looked up at him defiantly. He looked at her a bit sadly. The same look from the arena, with the same small smile.

And then he kissed her.

It took a few seconds for Korra to process what was happening. This wasn't like with Mako. His eyes had closed automatically after the initial shock. Bolin knew what he was doing. He was looking right at her; his green eye was the only thing she could see. She tried to stare right back at him but... Her eyes slid shut without her permission. She felt his eyelashes brush lightly against her cheek and assumed he had closed his eyes too.

Mako had opened his mouth automatically, she had followed suit hungrily. Bolin's remained closed, initially. She felt him tilt his head and grip the back of her head before his lips parted. At that, she gave a small start and put her arms around his neck to pull him closer. She felt him grin against her and felt the urge to growl.

Wait. What? His arm was now at her waist, complying with her urge to be closer. She wondered if she was still breathing, her chest was so strongly pressed against his. His tongue poked at her lips, seeking entrance. Her face flushed but she let her lips open, wondering at how amazingly right all of this felt.

RIGHT!

She gasped and pulled back, surprising him and yanking him forward, on top of her as she tumbled backwards. He stared down at her in shock, his usually pale skin a bright shade of pink. And that's when he seemed to realize that he was on top of her and he rushed to correct that. He stood up and bit his lip, seemingly unable to believe what he had just done. Korra stared up at him with the same shock.

"Um, well...glad to be of service, Miss Avatar. Is that all you require of me?" Bolin said as he offered her his hand to help her up.

Korra wanted to tell him to get back down there and kiss her again, but at realizing her thoughts, she clapped her mouth shut and shook her hand, taking his hand. She gave him an awkward bow which he returned flamboyantly and with that, she fled the room.

Bolin stayed in the small scroll room and sat back down, with a smile on his face, but something between a chuckle and a sob caught at his throat.

"So, did I win?"


	7. Chapter 7

I realize this is the first time I'm greeting ya'll. I'm also not sure if this is proper but meh, whatever. Hi. Thank you for reading my story which I have been writing in tears as I watch Bolin suffer more and more throughout the series. And sorry for the late update, I'm on vacation in a little town that lacks internet so….sobs.

"PAAAABUUUUUUUU!"

The fire ferret looked up from his bowl of fruit, startled, and squeaked when he saw Bolin running to him with his arms outstretched and really upset.

"Pabu what did I do?" Bolin asked loudly, picking him up and shaking him slightly. Pabu chattered in protest.

"Sorry buddy." Bolin let Pabu clamber onto his shoulders.

"Bolin? Why aren't you outside with the others? Have you seen Korra anywhere?" Tenzin walked into the kitchen and spotted the boy and his friend.

"Ah! Tenzin! No, no I haven't seen Korra. My guess is she's in her room." He lied in a panic,

"Well she's not." Tenzin crossed his arms, finding the young earthbender's behavior to be very shifty. "Are you quite sure you haven't seen her?"

"I might have seen her near the library earlier." Bolin said, shuffling his feet guiltily.

"Hmmm...I'll look there then. Curious, the monks say she never goes anywhere near there."

"That's what I said!" Bolin exclaimed. He caught himself and put his hand over his mouth. "Too loud. Sorry!"

Tenzin gave him a stern look and turned around to leave the room. Once his generous host was gone, Bolin let out a huge sigh and reached up to scratch Pabu's head.

"Well it's not like I regret it. Nope. Not at all, nope." he frowned defiantly, as if someone were about to challenge his mindset. "I just hope she doesn't." he whispered in afterthought and let his shoulders slump forward.

"You know, you look like a hunchback when you do that." Asami giggled from the doorway Tenzin had just used to exit. Bolin jumped and turned around fast.

"Mako said you were cooped up in the library again. Pleasure seeing you here! So what do you hope Korra won't regret? Some new development between you two, hmm?" she walked in, tapping her nails on the tables as she passed by and smiling at him deviously.

Girls. Why did they have to be so smart? "What are you talking about...? Hahaha...ha." he half-heartedly tried to fool her anyway. Asami raised an eyebrow at him, an amused smile on her face.

"Judging by the blush, your still-heavy breathing and your decision to seek out Pabu instead of your brother... I'd loosely say something just went down between you two." she stated, shrugging nonchalantly.

"I was..." Bolin stopped to think. He couldn't properly explain why he was feeling so wretched without exposing that Mako and Korra had kissed. "I sorta kinda...might have kissed Korra and she might have run away so I maybe don't know what to make of this and I'm confused, Asami. Heeeeelp!" he settled for the simplified truth.

Asami sat down, rested her head on her hand and considered him for a bit. "Was she blushing?" She asked him. When Bolin answered her question with a confused face she decided to clarify "When she ran away, was she blushing? Happy blushing? Or after you two parted, was she shocked, and not violent afterwards?"

"Well she sorta pulled me on top of her right after she gasped..." Bolin started.

"Whoa, go Bolin!" Asami flashed a devilish smile.

"No! It was totally an accident! Then I got off of her and stood and she just stared at me blankly for a bit until I casually told her 'Glad to be of service'. Man, I'm an idiot! Who says that!" he berated himself as he hid his face in his hands. Asami's smile hadn't vanished. He peeked at her from between his fingers and frowned even more. "This isn't funny Asami." he said with a pout.

"You're right, I'm sorry." she composed her face and wiped the smile.

"What's not funny?" Ikki sped into the kitchen on an air scooter. Pabu perked up when he saw her and ran to hide in a cupboard.

"Oh hey Ikki! It's nothing, really." Bolin said to her when she stopped in front of him. Asami nodded in agreement. Ikki looked at them both with squinting eyes.

"I want leechi juice. Hey Bolin! See? I remembered your name! Boooolin. Guess what I found out! It's a secret! Can you keep it? It's about your brother, that one that likes her!" she pointed at Asami. "I found out from Jinora because she says she heard Korra talking to herself one day and she said that Korra and Mako ki-" she stopped talking when Bolin covered her mouth with his hand. She glared at him and licked his hand to try to get it off but it didn't work. Bolin was too busy looking at Asami, terrified that she had figured it out. And judging by her blank look of disbelief, she had.

"Asami I know what you're thinking but-"

"Hey! Asami! Are you still here?" they heard Mako's voice from down the hall. Bolin gave a small squeal of fear at the impending showdown. He let go of Ikki's face (who stuck out her tongue and raced away) and put his hands together to beg Asami "Please don't kill him! He didn't...she didn't..."

"Now I see why you're so upset that you kissed Korra. Did she ask you to?" Was all Asami said. Her face betrayed her calm voice, she looked heartbroken. Bolin opened his mouth to speak but Mako walked into the room right then. He whimpered instead.

"Oh, Bo you're here too! Great! Korra came to find us, saying that the equalists just took out a ton of the police force. The Chief is rallying to go hunt them out in one of their bases. She says they were taken somewhere underground! I think we all know where that is! She wants us all to go help out!"

"Who does? Korra or the chief?" Asami asked, keeping her voice steady.

"Korra. The chief wants us nowhere near them, but we can get there first if we hurry." Mako said, motioning for them to follow him, and didn't look back to notice Asami had her feet firmly planted.

"Mako, sweetie.." her voice was sad, "What can you do? You can't firebend."

Mako froze and looked around, hurt at her implication. "I can still fight."

"So what about me? Are you saying you'll let me fight with you? You know how good I am." Asami asked, voice still sad, and Mako was beginning to notice.

"I'd prefer if you didn't... You could get hurt. But if you really want to, you don't need anyone's permission. Asami, what's wrong?" He turned around to look at her.

"Nothing." she brightened her voice, "I was just afraid you weren't going to want me by your side." Mako smiled at her reassuringly and resumed walking.

Bolin looked up and saw that her cheery voice was betrayed by her eyes.

"Bolin, please don't lie to me. Were you there?" she whispered.

Bolin nodded. "It was right before... Well I thought we were going on a date." Pabu came out and perched himself around his neck comfortingly.

"Who kissed whom?" She asked. Bolin stayed quiet.

"Why're you doing this to yourself?" he finally spoke up as they started following Mako, who was too far to be in earshot.

"I'm sorry. I know it hurts you too but...I need to know if I should start forgiving him."

"Korra kissed him." he whispered.

"I'm sorry. Thank you." she said. In afterthought she added, "Did he kiss her back?"

"Enthusiastically." he muttered with a hint of bitterness.

"Oh." Asami whispered and took a deep breath. Then she rushed off to catch up with Mako.

Bolin walked after her leisurely. It wasn't really his fault that she had found out, but he still felt he had betrayed Mako somehow. Now he had to give his brother the heads up that Asami knew. He should also probably tell Korra. He looked up from his musings just in time to see Asami freeze on the steps leading to the road. Mako and Korra were speaking, heads close together as they pored over a map on Naga's resting back.

This was his chance. He ran ahead, taking Asami's immobility to his advantage and reached the pair before Asami made it down another step.

"Bo! What took you so long? Is Asami with you?" Mako said. Korra just looked at him, not trusting herself to speak.

"Okay guys, shut up and listen to me. Don't freak out but Asami knows what happened that one night you were unfaithful, Mako."

Bolin stared at them both, waiting to clamp his hands over their mouths lest they start yelling, but they just stared at him, mouths agape and shocked.

"Guys?" he asked, waving his hand in front of their faces.

"So, how're we going to catch the bad guys?" Asami asked from behind Bolin. He flinched and looked around at her. The other two seemed to be too busy gathering their wits to answer her.

"Well we've got Naga and your bike for transport. We can do partners if necessary." Bolin offered.

"Alright, but who goes with who?" they heard a voice ask from their right. Jinora left her book on the bench she was sitting on and walked up to them. "I mean, one non-bender and a bender would make a good team, right? So, Bolin with Asami, and Korra with Mako?"

All of them replied with a resounding "No!" but Asami's voice was the loudest.

"Thanks for the input Jinora, we'll definitely consider that." Korra told her kindly. Jinora smiled graciously and left.

"How about Mako stays with me?" Asami suggested sweetly, almost threateningly. "Or, I can go with Korra and the boys can stick together."

"No, I think you and Mako would be fine together as long as you're careful." Korra raised her hands in self-defense. She seemed to forget she would be stuck with Bolin.

"So... Mako and Asami take the bike...Korra and I will take Naga. You guys can use the manhole entrance in the slumps and... We'll make a tunnel or something?" Bolin said. Korra's eyes widened when she remembered and he noticed.

"Hey, why do we have to be in teams in the first place?" Bolin laughed nervously, going back on what he had said before once he thought it over. They all responded by giving him uncomfortable looks, but they decided they would have to deal with it.

"Naga doesn't like carrying more than three people unless absolutely necessary and two fit on Asami's bike so…" Korra replied, already climbing onto Naga's back. Asami mounted her bike and Mako followed suit.

"This can be taken as a necessity…" Bolin said quietly as he climbed on behind her and felt her tense up. He pouted and decided to think about something else than what had transpired in the small scroll room to avoid further awkwardness. He watched as Mako and Asami sped away on the motor bike, and noticed that Mako's hands were holding tightly onto Asami's waist.

"I don't have to hold your waist I'll just hold on to the saddle it's okay, don't freak out!" Bolin said loudly, throwing his hands into the air as he realized that once Naga got in motion, his usual method of keeping balance was out of the question.

Instead of freezing up even more like he thought she would, Korra chuckled.

"You can hold onto my waist if you want. It's no big deal. Mako does it." Korra said in an off-handed way, trying to ease the tension. She urged Naga to stand and soon they were racing after the now distant bike.

But her remark only made Bolin freeze as he was reminded that she had wanted a comparison and he had yet to know the outcome. The whole situation was completely unfair. Or was he just once again not good enough? Too stupid to realize that he'd done something wrong?….Had he done something wrong?

While lost in thought, he hadn't noticed that they were already aboard the ferry and making their way to Republic City.


	8. Chapter 8

Oh my gods guys I cannot express how extremely sorry I am for sorta….killing this fic I guess? But I brought it back from the dead! School's been hectic and I don't have the amazing perseverance other writers do. But I'm on break again so I can almost guarantee I'll be posting a new chapter every week, just like good old times!

Also, I'm gonna be legit now. These characters are not mine. Like really, if they were they'd be doing NOT what they're currently doing. They belong to their wonderful creators at Nick.

* * *

"So...Chief Bei Fong doesn't know we're here right now right?" Bolin asked in a whisper as he, Pabu, Korra, and Naga snuck along the same sewers they had gone through a few days before. It turned out that there were too many tubes underground to make a proper tunnel, so they had gone back a more familiar route, knocking a lot of equalists out of commission as they went.

"She will as soon as she feels us coming." Korra whispered back.

"Do you think they got captured too? The marketplace was scary empty when we got there. That mini rally was obviously a trap and it worked, they took a lot of people captive..."

"Are you saying it might be a trap within a trap? To get the chief?" Korra asked. Bolin nodded. Korra's expression hardened but she shrugged. "Hopefully not ."

From on top of Naga's head, Pabu's ears perked up just as Naga sniffed the air. Pabu climbed off of her and ran ahead, prompting Korra and Bolin to stop and listen intently.

"Pabu? Are Korra and Bolin with you?" they heard Mako's voice faintly from up ahead. Korra and Bolin's faces brightened and they ran forward to find the other part of their team.

"Bro! Asami! You got here fast!" Bolin exclaimed as much as he could in a whisper.

"Bo. Korra, glad you're both safe." Mako's face softened its tense expression a bit when he saw them and he walked over to clasp his brother's arm and give Korra a fleeting hug.

Bolin chose to ignore that and he walked over to Asami, meaning to comfort if she took the little hug badly. But he found her too preoccupied to notice. She was peering through the keyhole on a rough metal door leading to the large circular room.

"Asami? Are you okaaaa-oooh." Bolin said as Asami stepped away from the door and motioned for him to look. Through the tiny hole, Bolin manage to see the Lieutenant and Mr. Sato talking, both with grins on their faces. And around them, tied and gagged, were about twelve metalbending police. "Oh yeah, I wouldn't be either."

"What is my father doing here?" Asami whispered. The scene was pretty incriminating.

"He got here a few minutes after we did, bringing with him about twenty equalists carrying crates." Mako said from behind them. He walked over to Asami's side and gave her shoulder a small squeeze. She looked up at him with sad but hopeful eyes and put her hand over his.

"I'm sure there must be some explanation..." Korra said half-heartedly as she took her turn at the keyhole.

"Of why my father is working with the equalists?" Asami said in an even voice. Mako knew that voice. It was her trying to be even tougher than she was.

Then suddenly they heard a crash from within, like metal falling and crashing onto the floor. They all jumped and hastened to look through the hole, fighting silently until Asami won by shoving them all aside with surprising strength.

"What's happening?" Korra whispered as she rubbed her shoulder, where Mako had crashed into her when they were pushed.

"Bei Fong. She got in through a vent in the ceiling. She's fighting and has about four other cops with her. My dad just ran through a door on the far side of the room. They just freed like five. Oh. The Lieutenant just took out three." Asami answered and then gasped. She stood up straight and took a pin from her hair and started messing with the lock.

"What? Why gasp?" Bolin asked, wishing he knew how to metalbend.

"Dad just walked in through one of the doors on the other side, flanked by a ton of equalists. And six robotic tanks. I guess dad has been busy..." Her voice got louder as she worked. Finally, they all heard a click and she yanked the door open.

"Wait! Asami, stop!" Mako yelled and pulled her back into the tunnel before she was able to step into the other room. He then shut the door before anyone on the other side took notice of them.

"What?!" Asami asked loudly.

"Stay here. Please. Let us go and deal with this."

"My father is in there! I need to know the truth, Mako."

"I know. And I'll go in there and find out for you." he continued to plead. Asami looked up at him, pained. She sighed heavily and stepped aside, giving him access to the door handle.

"I thought you said you wanted me fighting by your side." she whispered.

"I know. I'm sorry, but I want you by my side tomorrow too." Mako hugged her and whispered, "Next time, please."

Asami couldn't muster a smile, but she gave him a kiss on the cheek and stepped further back into the tunnel. He exhaled heavily and opened the door as little as possible to sneak in. Bolin followed close behind.

"Take Naga and escape if things get too bad." Korra said softly as she followed the brothers into the fray. She turned to give Asami a reassuring smile and closed the door behind her.

"Chief!" Korra yelled when the first thing she saw when walking through the door was Lin being overpowered by five equalists, two who had some sort of whips tied around her.

"Korra! What are you doing-Aaargh!" she stopped talking when one of her captives punched her side with one of those shocking gloves. Korra ran to her aid, punching fireballs at three of the equalists and knocking them back. The two remaining ran at her and darted around, trying to jab her pressure points while she dodged desperately. She dropped down and swept them off their feet with a nicely timed kick.

"Chief! Come on, get up! Lin!" Korra yelled as she shook the older woman out of her unconscious state.

"Korra! It was foolish of you to come here! What in the world was Tenzin thinking, letting you out of his sight?!"

"Actually, I think he's barely finding out we're gone right about now." Korra grinned and helped the Chief get back on her feet. Lin grunted and stepped away from Korra. She then blasted four oncoming equalists off of their feet by lifting the ground they were on and tossing it back.

"Nice shot!" Bolin's admiring voice carried from the other side of the room, where he and Mako were fighting two of the robot things they had seen before. They were badly outmatched. Mako was doing all he could just to stay away from the metal arms that darted out from its arm sockets and gave a nasty shock. Bolin was throwing rock after rock at the things, but they hardly even made a dent. He and the police had only managed to take out two between them. Two police were in the robots' grasp, struggling to free themselves and suffering then they got zapped for their impudence.

Both Korra and Lin ran to them, and were blocked by another robot, which rushed out to meet them.

"Korra! That's the one Mr. Sato's in!" Mako called out in warning. Chief Bei Fong took no time to dodge to her left, where she was met with two other robots. Korra had barely any time to register Mako's words when a metal arm came rushing at her, the pincers trying to grab her. She jumped, but not fast enough. It caught her foot and smashed her against the floor. She moaned in pain, pinned to the ground and trying furtively to escape. She turned her head to look behind at her captor. Mr. Sato's gaze was triumphant and cold, Korra felt a stab of rage and hate grip her heart. Asami didn't deserve this.

The Chief had fared no better, and was lying on the floor, knocked out with two huge robots looming over her, their pincers grasping at her waist. Mako winced as he saw Korra hit the floor hard, and turned around to call for his brother's help in rescuing her. But he saw Bolin was busy with another mecha so he ran to help by himself. Mr. Sato seemed to be busy, and didn't even bother to look around for threats. As he got closer, he heard his quiet gloating.

"You never give up, you people. When will you learn to accept that we nonbenders will no longer tolerate your abuse? We have ways to defend ourselves now. We will no longer fall prey to the ambushes of your silly little task force, Korra." Mr. Sato sneered down at her.

"I'm not with Tarrlok's stupid task force anymore." She managed to snarl up at him. Her eyes widened when she saw Mako closing in on Mr. Sato's mecha but she covered up her surprise quickly. "And no, I won't ever give up! I'm not abusing anyone! You are! What you're taking part of, Sato, is sick and wrong!"

"Useless words, coming from a bender's mouth." He said and lifted her up to face him. She tried to stay straight and look at him defiantly, but her shoulder was badly bruised and hung limp.

Meanwhile, Mako was climbing onto the robot as stealthily as he could from behind. When he reached the top he nearly groaned in disappointment. All the windows to the inside of the mecha were barred. He wouldn't be able to do any damage even if he broken the glass. Mako started to look around, trying to find any particularly vulnerable looking wires or pipes. But another one of the robots spotted him and knocked him off of his perch, sending him careening into a wall. He fell to the floor in a crumpled heap.

"Mako!" Two voices shouted at once. Bolin ran to his brother after encasing the feet of his opponent in stone. Korra struggled as she yelled Mako's name again and again. Mr. Sato observed the situation with no sign of emotion.

Bolin made it to his brother's side and gingerly lifted his head, gasping in horror when his fingers came away sticky with blood.

"Mako, come on bro. Snap out of it please!" Bolin's small, panicked voice could be heard by no one except maybe his brother, had he been conscious. He put his head back down carefully and when he made sure his pulse and breath were even and steady, he looked around to assess their situation.

But in his panic, he had failed to notice that Korra had quieted. She hung limp and unconscious in Sato's grasp, One of the equalists had snuck up behind him and promptly jabbed at him, making him fall to the floor with his eyes open in horror. He watched as the remaining equalists were tying up his defenseless friends and piling them into a truck. Another well placed hit and Bolin felt his eyelids go heavy.

"Leave the older boy, he is no threat to us any longer." Sato's merciless voice rang clear throughout the room and then everything went black.


End file.
